"The plan of action of Georgia and the EU, within the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy, includes issues on simplified visa regulations for Georgian nationals and issues of free trade," Giorgi Baramidze, the Georgian Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, said.
The diplomat said Tbilisi will draft a plan by February to implement the set goals, and will then start talks with the European Union working from this plan.
"The fact that we have agreed to start talks in this direction is already the first part of the deal, and the first successful step. Because previously the European Union did not even discuss such issues with us," Baramidze said.
Since Georgia's U.S.-educated leader Mikheil Saakashvili was swept to power on the back of the 2003 "Rose revolution", Georgia's leadership has taken a course toward closer ties with NATO and the European Union, which has provoked discontent from Russia and has damaged ties between the small Caucasus nation and its former Soviet master.
